A common (annoying) complaint among New York cultural critics is that there is too much going on in the city. This week, for instance, there are several dance shows that I will not see, with serious regrets. I know – everyone should have such problems. But one show that I will not miss is Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company’s Chapel/Chapter at Harlem Stage Gatehouse, presented by Harlem Stage. Why? Because I missed it the last time around, in 2006, sucked into the cycle of “not enough hours in a day,” and I have rued that decision ever since I watched some video snippets and listened to a litany of raves. read more
Ten years ago, it might’ve been a stretch to imagine that Bill T. Jones would be the driving force behind a potential Broadway hit, even if it had been Fela!, about the life and music of political activist and musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti. Jones was of course a major figure in the dance world, but his work reflected interests often polar opposite to those driving Broadway – intellectual, socially probing, formally experimental or refined. Sure, there were plenty of pop and prosaic elements in the mix, but it was not about commercial appeal.
In Fela!, which he directed and choreographed (and co-wrote with Jim Lewis), and after receiving a Tony for his work on the hit Spring Awakening, Jones has found the sweet spot in between, although his involvement in the project began as a hired choreographer. read more
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